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Switzerland takes it all at the European Championships Marathon!

Press release n.29, 27 June 2010

Switzerland's representatives win all the races at the UEC European Championships in Montebelluna. New European Champions are Ralph Näf (Elite Men), Esther Süss (Women) and Konny Looser (Under23). Mirko Celestino finishes a great race on second position.

At 10h00 the starter's gun went off for the European Championships. At the start line all the big names of the continent with 8 riders in pole position: the Austrian Lakata, the French Dietsch, the Italian National Champion Mirko Celestino, the Swiss riders Huber and Buchli, the Estonian National Champion Oras and the Finnish Vastaranta.

Special guest at the start line is the president of the Italian Cycling Federation FCI, Mr. Renato Di Rocco, who declared himself greatly impressed with the perfect organization of the event.

The race courses of the 2010 European Championships had to be modified, as the artificial bridge couldn't be build due to the increased water level of the river Piave. This meant, a further 15 km had to be added to both distances. The men's race was now of 129,5 km and the women's race of 111,5 km.

The women of the day were the favorite Gunn Rita Dahle, European Champion (9 times World Champion on both disciplines, Cross Country and Marathon), Swiss Esther Süss, the English Sally Bigham, Jane Nüssli, Laura Turpijn and the Finnish Carina Ketonen and the Italian Michela Benzoni.

On the first climb of the Montello, there's the first selection between the men, with 30 riders going off, led out by the Dutch Bas Peters.

Half an hour after the men's race, the women race starts off and, Süss and Slovenian Klemencic take the women's race lead.
At km 25 the men's race is led by Lakata, Huber, Celestino, Vastaranta, Näf, Longo and Medvedev.
In the meanwhile in the women's race Nüssli, Dahle, Süss, Klemencic and Sundstedt are staying together in the lead.
In Collalto, there are only 15 men left in the leading group, while at the same time Dahle, Süss, Klemencic and Sundstedt, with Nüssli following 10 second after, are crossing the same place. At km 44, a group of three men are attacking, the two Italians Felderer and Tiberi and the Swiss Näf manage to get a gap on the following 10-men group. Later, Klemencic will be dropped by her group, Dahle, Süss and Sundstedt stay in front on their own.

With more than half race done, Näf takes his chance, attacks and drops Felderer and Tiberi and gets soon a gap of half a minute. At km 106 Näf passes with 2 minutes on Felderer and 3'30" on the group with Lakata, Kugler, Böhme, Trayter, Celestino and Vastaranta. Tiberi is dropped. All others far behind. In the same time, Dahle, Süss and Sundstedt ride together with a 3-minutes gap on Klemencic and Nüssli and with 5 minutes on the next 4 athletes following with Italian Gasparini in there.

With 10 km to go, Näf is still in his lonesome lead, still increasing his gap on Felderer. Mirko Celestino chases down Felderer and with just a few kilometers to go, he still tries to get Näf as well. But Näf is already on his triumphal march and crosses the finish-line as the new European Champion in 4:59:05. Second a great Mirko Celestino is coming in in 5:01:45, welcomed by the huge home crowds. In third position finishes the Swiss Andreas Kugler, number 7 of the international ranking, finishing in 05:02:26. Fourth the Finnish Jukka Vastaranta and fifth today's favorite Alban Lakata. The Italian Mike Felderer eventually finishes sixth.

While Näf is awarded the jersey of the European Champion, the women's race is about to be decided. There are only two women left in the lead: the two champions Gunn Rita Dahle and Esther Süss. With only a few km to go, Süss attacks and gets a gap of 30 seconds on Dahle. Esther Süss crosses the finish-line in 04:53:17 and wins her second European Champion's title. A minute after, the super-champion Gunn Rita Dahle , who is feeling almost at home in Montebelluna, arrives and finishes her race in 04:54:24 with a Norwegian flag in her hands. Third Pia Sundstedt comes in in 04:55:24.

The Swiss Konny Looser wins the Under23 category and is the new Under23 European Champion, followed by the German Matthias Leisling and the Italian Lorenzo Martelli.

A great prize-giving ceremony, with fans cheering like in a soccer stadium especially for Mirko Celestino and Gunn Rita Dahle, concludes the event. The UEC gives the organizers credit for the great event and the UEC secretary Roland Hofer awards the organizers a medal for their excellent organization of the event.

Tonight from 23h45 to 00h30, a summary of the European Championships Marathon of Montebelluna is being broadcasted on Raisport1 with reruns in the following days. Still tonight there will be shown reports in the news of Italian TV broadcaster Canale5 at 23h00 and at 08h00 tomorrow morning.

Results European Championships Marathon Men:
1) Ralph Näf (Multivan Merida Biking Tea) in 04:59:05
2) Mirko Celestino (Semperlux Axvevo Haiobik) in 05:01:45
3) Andreas Kugler (Multivan Merida Biking Tea ) in 05:02:26
4) Jukka Vastaranta (Finlandese) in 05:04:09
5) Alban Lakata (Topeak Ergon Racing Tea) in 05:04:27

Results European Championships Marathon Women:
1) Esther Süss (Wheeler Ixs Pro Team) in 04:53:17
2) Gunn Rita Dahle (Team Multivan Merida) in 04:54:24
3) Pia Sunstedt (Rocky Mountain) in 04:55:24
4) Blaza Klemencic (Felt Otztal X Bionic) in 04:59:30
5) Jane Nuessli (Credo Bikes.Com) in 05:00:15

Results European Championships Marathon Under 23 Men:
1) Konny Looser (Team Stockli Craft) in 05:11:41
2) Matthias Leisling (Muskelkater Genesis Tea) in 05:20:12
3) Lorenzo Martelli (Torpado Surfing Shop ) in 05:27:37